Parliament of Albania passed late on Thursday the Law on Promotion of the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources. The draft law was challenged by the operators of small hydropower plants in the country, as it changes the regulatory regime and support scheme hitherto applicable. This was the culmination of a long-standing dispute with the Government.

The Secretariat’s Dispute Resolution and Negotiation Centre facilitated the negotiations between the producers and the Albanian government and parliamentary committee. A compromise solution was found in December 2016, which served as a basis for a special provision now incorporated within the new law. Part of the compromise is that the Secretariat will be involved in the setting of the methodology for the calculation of the support scheme applicable to existing producers.

“The Secretariat emphasises the importance of the adoption of a final solution that is acceptable to all stakeholders involved. We hope that the compromise found will positively affect legal certainty and improve both compliance with the acquis and investor confidence,” said Deputy Director Dirk Buschle.

The Secretariat will now verify the adopted law’s compliance with the Energy Community acquis.